[Faith-talk] Thought for October 15

[Ericka]

A while ago that was on the Bible Gateway girlfriends in God devotional page.

Ericka Short
"Friends are like flowers in the garden of life"

Sent from my iPhone

> On Oct 15, 2015, at 2:08 PM, Roanna Bacchus via Faith-talk <faith-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> That's a wonderful story thanks for sharing it.
> 
> Sent from my iPad
> 
>> On Oct 15, 2015, at 12:49 PM, Poppa Bear via Faith-talk <faith-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> 
>> Becoming as little children.
>> 
>> --Author Unknown  
>> 
>> We were the only family with children in the restaurant. I sat Erik in a
>> high chair and noticed everyone was quietly eating and talking. Suddenly,
>> Erik squealed with glee and said, "Hi there." He pounded his fat baby hands
>> on the high chair tray. His eyes were crinkled in laughter and his mouth was
>> bared in a toothless grin, as he wriggled and giggled with merriment.
>> 
>> I looked around and saw the source of his merriment. It was a man whose
>> pants were baggy with a zipper at half-mast and his toes poked out of
>> would-be shoes. His shirt was dirty and his hair was uncombed and unwashed.
>> His whiskers were too short to be called a beard and his nose was so
>> varicose it looked like a road map. We were too far from him to smell, but I
>> was sure he smelled.
>> 
>> His hands waved and flapped on loose wrists. Hi there, baby; Hi there, big
>> boy. I see ya, buster," the man said to Erik. My husband and I exchanged
>> looks, "What do we do?" Erik continued to laugh and answer, "Hi, hi there."
>> Everyone in the restaurant noticed and looked at us and then at the man. The
>> old geezer was creating a nuisance with my beautiful baby.  
>> 
>> Our meal came and the man began shouting from across the room, "Do ya patty
>> cake? Do you know peek-a-boo? Hey, look, he knows peek-a-boo." Nobody
>> thought the old man was cute. He was obviously drunk. My husband and I were
>> embarrassed. We ate in silence; all except for Erik, who was running through
>> his repertoire for the admiring skid row bum, who in turn, reciprocated with
>> his cute comments.  We finally got through the meal and headed for the door.
>> My husband went to pay the check and told me to meet him in the parking lot.
>> The old man sat poised between me and the door.
>> 
>> "Lord, just let me out of here before he speaks to me or Erik," I prayed. As
>> I drew closer to the man, I turned my back trying to sidestep him and avoid
>> any air he might be breathing. As I did, Erik leaned over my arm, reaching
>> with both arms in a baby's "pick-me-up" position. Before I could stop him,
>> Erik had propelled himself from my arms to the man's. Suddenly a veryold
>> smelly man and a very young baby consummated their relationship. Erik in an
>> act of total trust, love, and submission laid his tiny head upon the man's
>> ragged shoulder.
>> 
>> The man's eyes closed, and I saw tears hover beneath his lashes. His aged
>> hands full of grime, pain, and hard labor, cradled my baby's bottom and
>> stroked his back. No two beings have ever loved so deeply for so short a
>> time. I stood awestruck. The old man rocked and cradled Erik in his arms and
>> his eyes opened and set squarely on mine. He said in a firm commanding
>> voice, "You take care of this baby." Somehow I managed,  "I will," from a
>> throat that contained a stone.
>> 
>> He pried Erik from his chest unwillingly, longingly, as though he were in
>> pain. I received my baby, and the man said, "God bless you, ma'am, you've
>> given me my Christmas gift. You see, m'am, I never saw my child grow up. My
>> wife and son were taken from me in an automobile accident when they were
>> both too young. I was never able to get over it."
>> 
>> I said nothing more than a muttered thanks and "I'm sorry to hear that."
>> With Erik in my arms, I ran for the car. My husband was wondering why I was
>> crying and holding Erik so tightly, and why I was saying, "My God, my God,
>> forgive me." I had just witnessed Christ's love shown through the innocence
>> of a tiny child who saw no sin, who made no judgment; a child who saw a
>> soul, and a mother who saw a suit of clothes. I was a Christian who was
>> blind, holding a child who was not. I felt it was God asking, "Are you
>> willing to share your son for a moment?" when He shared His for all
>> eternity. The ragged old man, unwittingly, had reminded me...
>> 
>> "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children,
>> you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." -- Matthew 18:3 (NIV)
>> 
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